The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to magnetic resonance imaging systems and, more particularly, to techniques for species separation using magnetic resonance imaging systems.
The use of medical imaging technologies has become commonplace in the medical community. Such imaging technologies typically allow the acquisition of images which depict the internal structures (internal tissues and organs, bones, and so forth) and/or biochemical functions of a patient without the use of invasive procedures. That is, medical imaging technologies typically allow the internal structures and/or functions of a patient to be observed without surgery or other invasive procedures.
One such medical imaging technology is known as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI systems typically employ magnetic fields and pulses of radio frequency (RF) energy to generate images based on the gyromagnetic properties of tissues and structures within the body. For example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems may employ a primary magnetic field to generally orient susceptible molecules (such as hydrogen nuclei in water molecules) within the field and a radio frequency (RF) pulse to disrupt this orientation. The reorientation of molecules within the primary magnetic field after this disruption may generate signals that may be detected and used to generate images of the internal structures and/or functions within the patient. Time-varying magnetic gradient fields may also be applied to the subject so that the generated signals may be localized with respect to x-, y-, and z-axes, allowing an image to be generated.
In some instances it may be difficult to distinguish certain types of tissues from other materials of interest using MRI techniques. For example, fat tissue and water within the body may generate similar signals, making it difficult to distinguish between fat tissue and water in the resulting images.